alignment

Etymology

French alignement, by surface analysis, align + -ment.

noun

1. An arrangement of items in a line.
2. The process of adjusting a mechanism such that its parts are aligned; the condition of having its parts so adjusted.
3. An alliance of factions.
4. (artificial intelligence) The goals and values of an artificial intelligence, considered relative to human ethical standards.
   the alignment problem
   the alignment tax
   It turns out that there’s little overlap between the communities concerned primarily with such short-term risks and those who worry more about longer-term alignment risks. 13 December 2022, Melanie Mitchell, “What Does It Mean to Align AI With Human Values?”, in Quanta Magazine, New York, N.Y.: Simons Foundation, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 2023-03-15
   The issue of chatbot responses that veer into strange territory is widely known among researchers. In an interview last week, Sam Altman, the chief executive of OpenAI, said improving what's known as "alignment" — how the responses safely reflect a user's will — was "one of these must-solve problems." 16 February 2023, Karen Weise, “Microsoft Considers More Limits for Its New A.I. Chatbot”, in The New York Times, New York, N.Y.: The New York Times Company, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 2023-03-22
   But many in the field are concerned that Big Tech companies are sidelining alignment research efforts in the race to keep building and releasing the technology into the world. 17 February 2023, Billy Perrigo, “The New AI-Powered Bing Is Threatening Users. That's No Laughing Matter”, in Time, New York, N.Y.: Time Inc., →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 2023-02-27
5. (roleplaying games) One of a set number of moral positions or philosophies a character can take.
   an alignment chart
6. (astronomy) The conjunction of two celestial objects.
7. (transport) The precise route or course taken by a linear way (road, railway, footpath, etc.) between two points.
8. (bioinformatics) A way of arranging DNA, RNA or protein sequences in order to identify regions of similarity.